Apparatus for generating acetylene gas.



No. 635,727. Patented Oct. 24, i899.

C. D. HOWELL.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING ACETYLENE GAS.

(Application filed July 17, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 635,727. Patented Oct. 24, I899.

G. D. HOWELL.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AGETYLENE GAS.

(Application filed July 17, 1899.) G (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

CHARLES D. I-IOlVELL, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TOMAURICE S. OONNORS AND STEWART S. STIFFEY, OF SAM-E PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING ACETYLENE GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,727, dated October24, 1899.

Application filed July 17, 1899. Serial No. 724,076. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES D. HOWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Golumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for GeneratingAcetylene Gas, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for generating acetylene gas. a

My invention has for its principal object to provide an acetylene gasgenerator adapted more especially for use on loco-motives, railway-cars,carriages, automobiles, or other vehicles. The apparatus may be placedon the vehicle in any convenient situation, and the gas may beuseddirect from the delivery-pipe of the machine or be conducted in pipes toa suitable storage-receptacle, whence it may be taken for use asrequired.

The inveption consists of features of construction and novelcombinations of parts in an apparatus for generating gas by the reactionof water upon calcium carbid or other chemical substance having anaffinity for water and capable of reacting therewith to generate a gasadapted for illuminating, heating, or other purposes, as hereinafterdescribed.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating the invention Figure 1 is alongitudinal sectional elevation of my improved acetylene-gas generator.Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is an end elevation ofthe same. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the gas-generator. Fig. 5 is across-sectional view through the carbid-box. Fig. 6 is a detailsectional view showing the manner of attaching a cap to the end of thecarbid-box. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of a drawer for the carbid-box.Fig. 8 is a side elevation of said drawer. Fig. 9 is an elevation of theother end of the carbiddrawer. Fig. 10 is a sectional detail of aspring-seat on the drawer of the carbid-box. Fig. 11 is a view of aspring-frame for holding down a cloth over the carbid in the drawer ofthe carbid-box.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a cylindrical box orvessel arbox is closed by a head 2, which may be permanently attached.The other end of said box is closed by a removable cap 3, that isinternally screw-threaded to engage external screw-threads on a ring 4:,surrounding one end of the box or cylinder. A gasket 5 is arrangedwithin the cap 3 in position to be pressed against by the end of thecylinder or box 1, so as to form a gas-tight joint therewith.

Within the box or cylinder 1 there is arranged a removable drawer 6 forcontaining the carbid or other chemical that is to be employ ed in thegeneration of gas. This drawer 6 is very nearly the same length as thebox or cylinder 1, so as to nearly fill the same when placed therein.The body portion of the drawer 6 is semicylindrical or trough-shaped andis provided with a number of perforations 7, as shown. The ends of thedrawer 6 consist of disks 8 and 9, to one of which is attached a handle10 for convenience in placing the drawer within the box or cylinder 1and for withdrawing it to recharge said drawer with carbid. Each head ordisk end S and 9 of the carbid-drawer is provided with a semicircularflange 11. to assist in supporting the trough or body portion of thedrawer. The drawer may be formed from sheet metal or any other suitablematerial. Each longitudinal side edge of the trough or body portion ofthe drawer is flared outwardly just above the flanges 11 to form seats12 for a spring-frame 13, that is arranged to secure in place a piece ofcloth 14, which is to be extended over the carbid. after the same hasbeenplacedin thedrawer. Thisspring-frame 13 is formed with eyes 15 atits opposite ends to fit over lugs 16, projecting inwardly from the diskends 8 and 9, as shown in Fig. 1. The drawer 6 is easily placed withinor withdrawn from the cylindrical box 1 after removing the screw-cap 3from the end of said box. On the outside of this screw-cap 3 there maybe arranged a pair of lugs 17, disposed in such relation to each otherthat any suitable lever can be engaged therewith for the purpose ofunscrewing said cap or for screwing it again into place.

There is secured to the upper side of the cylindrical box or casing 1 asubstantially rectangular water chamber or reservoir 18,

Figs. 1, 2, 3, and at. In the top of this waterreservoir there is afilling-orifice 19, which may be closed by any suitable cap or stop. Thetop of the reservoir 18 is also provided with a ventilator 20 ofanysuitable construction. to permit the escape of any gas that may gainaccess to said reservoir from the gas-generator. One end of thewater-reservoir 18 is provided with an exit water-pipe 21, that iscurved around, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, to connect at its otherend with a drip-pipe 22,which is extended longitudinallythrough theupper portion of the cylindrical carbidbox or gas-generator 1, as shownin Fig. 1. This water-drip pipe 22 may be provided with alongitudinally-extended series of perforations or be otherwise soarranged as to provide for an equable distribution of water over thecarbid contained in the drawer 6 within the generator. At the junctionof the pipes 21 and 22 there is placed a hand'valve 23, by which theoperator can readily control the admission of water to the gas-generatoraccording to the requirements for the generation of gas. The gas that isgenerated in the carbidholder or cylindrical box 1 finds exit through agas-delivery pipe 24, which is extended through the water-reservoir l8and is preferably coiled about therein, so as to provide an extendedsurface for securing a proper cooling of the gas and condensation of anyvapor therein before the gas is conducted to the place of use orstorage, thus insuring the delivery of dry gas from the machine.

To the gas-generator or cylindrical box 1 there are connected apressure-gage 25 and a safety-valve 26, as shown in Fig. 4. A watergage27 maybe connected with thewater-reservoir 18, as shown in Figs. 3 and4, and the lower end of this water-gage is preferably provided with adrainage-valve 28, by which to draw oft the water from the reservoir 18in case there is any liability of freezing of the contents.

It will be seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 5 that the carbid-drawer 6very nearly fills the cylindrical generator or box 1 when placedtherein. The disk 8, that forms one end of the carbid-drawer, is cutaway at 29, Figs. 5 and '7, to permit ready passage of the inner endportion of said drawer along the waterdrip pipe 22, which is extendedlongitudinally in the upper part of the box 1 or outer shell of thegenerator. This cut-away portion or recess 29 in one end of thecarbiddrawer not only provides space for the drippipe 22, but will coacttherewith to prevent turning of the carbid-drawer in its inclosing shellor box.

The manner of using this gas-generating apparatus and its operation whensupplied with water and carbid will be readily understood. It will beseen that the carbid is to be placed in the drawer 6 and covered with apiece of cloth 14, as shown in Fig. 5. The spring-frame 13, Figs. 1, 5,7, 9, and 11, is then placed in position over the cloth 1a and inbearing contact with the spring-seat 12, Figs. 7, 9, and 10, so as tohold said cloth in place, the ends of the spring-frame 13 being engagedwith the lugs 16, that project inwardly from the ends of thecarbid-drawer.

The carbid-drawer 6 is then inserted into one end of the cylindrical box1, and the screwcap 3 is then attached, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and6, so as to form a gas-tight joint with the ends of the cylindrical box1 and prevent any escape of gas at this point. When the generation ofgas is required, water may be admitted to the generator by opening thevalve 23 and will be distributed through the drip-pipe 22 onto the cloth14, which acts as a wick to spread the water equably over the surface ofthe carbid. and also to prevent the escape of any watery vapor. The gasthat is generated passes off through the gas-delivery pipe 24, and thispipe being disposed in the form of a coil within the water-reservoir 18will facilitate condensation of any vapor and insure the delivery of adry gas. Any gas that may gain access to the water-reservoir, as bypassing thereto through the drip-pipe 22, will find an exit through theventilator 20 at the top of said water-reservoir.

It is intended that the operator will set the valve 23 so as to keep upa steady formation of gas sufficient to supply the burners; but if thepressure of gas should get excessive the safety-valve 26 will releasethe gas before the pressure becomes dangerous. The pressure-gage isprovided, so the operator can see what pressure is in the generator andregulate the valve 23 accordingly. The water gage is to show how muchwater is in the reservoir 18 at all times, as it is important to keepthe coil of the gas-delivery pipe 24 covered with water to secure a drygas that is best suited for illuminating purposes.

hat I claim as my invention is-- 1. In an acetylene-gas generator, thecom bination of a horizontallyarranged cylindrical carbid-box closed atone end by a removable gas-tight cap, a semicylindrical carbiddrawerprovided with disk-shaped ends and arranged within the carbid-box, acloth extended over the carbid in said drawer, a spring-frame to holdsaid cloth in place, a water-reservoir above the carbid-box,a waterdrippipe connected with the water-reservoir and extended through the upperpart of the carbid-box, and a gas-delivery pipe extended from thecarbid-box and through the waterreservoir, substantially as described.

2. In an acetylene-gas generator, the com bination of a carbid-box, aremovable gastight cap for one end of said box, a carbiddrawer removablyplaced within the carbidbox, a cloth to cover the carbid in said drawer,a spring-frame supported by the ends of the carbid-drawer and adapted tobear on said cloth and hold the same in place over the carbid, awater-reservoir above the carbid-box, a water-drip pipe connected withthe water reservoir and extended into the carbid-box,

a valve for said pipe, a gas-delivery pipe extended from the carbid-boxinto and through the water-reservoir, and a ventilator for thewater-reservoir, substantially as described.

3. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination of a cylindrical,horizontally arranged carbid-box having a permanent head at one end andprovided at its other end with a removable gas-tight cap, asemicylindrical carbiddrawer provided with disk -shaped ends, thelongitudinal side edges of said drawer being provided with spring-seats,a cloth extended over the carbid in said drawer, a spring-framesupported by the ends of said drawer and adapted to bear on said clothover said spring-seats, a water-reservoir, a valved drip-pipe connectedwith the water-reservoir and extended into the said carbid-box, and agas-delivery pipe extended from the carbidbox and through theWater-reservoir, substantially as described. 4. In an acetylene-gasgenerator, the combinationof a cylindrical carbid-box, a semicylindricalcarbid-drawer placed in said box and provided with disk-shaped ends, acloth extended over the carbid in said drawer, a spring-frame supportedby the ends of the carbid-box in position to bear upon and hold saidcloth in place, a water-reservoir, a valved water-drip pipe connectedwith said waterreservoir and extended into the carbid-box above saidcarbid-drawer, and a gas-delivery pipe extended from the carbid-box intoand through said water-reservoir, substantially as described.

. 5. In an acetylene-gas generator, the com bination of a carbid-box, agas-tight cap for one end of said box, a cloth to cover the carbid, aspring-frame adapted to bear on said cloth and hold the same in placeover the carbid, a water-reservoir above the carbid-box, avalve-controlled passage through which said reservoir is adapted tocommunicate with the carbid-box, and a gas-delivery pipe extended fromthe carbid-box into and through the water-reservoir, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CHARLES D. HOWELL.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR HEYDE, DAVID A. JoNEs.

